# Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam (15 October 1969)

URL: https://allhistories.com/vietnam/timeline/1969-moratorium-to-end-the-war-in-vietnam
Location: Washington, D.C. and cities across the United States
Themes: US Withdrawal, Strategy

On 15 October 1969 millions of Americans took part in the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam, a nationwide day of demonstrations and teach-ins. The marches were peaceful and drew families and people of all ages, with over a quarter million in Washington and another quarter million in New York. A second march in Washington on 15 November drew over 500,000. Opposition to the war had grown with American casualties, the lack of visible progress and revelations such as the My Lai massacre. The Moratorium was organised by activists who asked citizens to suspend normal business for a day. Publicly the president said the protests would not affect him, but privately he was angered. On 3 November the president delivered his 'silent majority' speech asking Americans to back his Vietnam policy, and the response was largely positive. The Moratorium showed how deeply divided the country had become and pressed the administration toward troop withdrawals. Protests continued through the Cambodian incursion in 1970. At this point in the timeline (1969), the Democratic Republic of Vietnam's Workers' Party was led by First Secretary Le Duan (2 September 1969 – 10 July 1986), with President Ton Duc Thang (23 September 1969 – 30 March 1980) as head of state and Prime Minister Pham Van Dong (20 September 1955 – 2 July 1976); in the south, the Republic of Vietnam was headed by President Nguyen Van Thieu (14 June 1965 – 21 April 1975), with Prime Minister Tran Thien Khiem (22 August 1969 – 5 April 1975); the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, formed in June 1969 in opposition to the Saigon government, was headed by Huynh Tan Phat, chairman of its Council of Ministers (6 June 1969 – 2 July 1976), with Nguyen Huu Tho, chairman of its Consultative Council (8 June 1969 – 2 July 1976). Vietnam had been divided at the 17th parallel by the 1954 Geneva Accords. The main location of this event lies outside present-day Vietnam.

## Why it matters
It was among the largest anti-war demonstrations in American history and showed how the war's domestic costs constrained policy.

Ruler at the Time: [Le Duan](https://allhistories.com/vietnam/rulers/le-duan)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moratorium_to_End_the_War_in_Vietnam)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Vietnam War](https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War)